Encyclopedia of Literature and Science

(Hardback)

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Description

Defines the rapidly growing interdisciplinary field of literature and science through more than 650 alphabetically arranged entries on topics, themes, writers, scientists, works, theories, and methodologies. Some of the greatest works of world literature embody scientific ideas. So too, people engaged in scientific experimentation have written imaginative works, and their scientific writings additionally display a concern for rhetoric. While there has been a tendency to think of literature and other fields of the humanities as having little to do with science, scholars have nonetheless fruitfully conducted studies of the history and philosophy of science, thus pointing to the intersection between scientific and humanistic inquiry. And with the rise of technology, scholars have increasingly applied scientific analysis to the study of literature and the creative process. This reference defines the rapidly emerging interdisciplinary field of literature and science. Broad in scope, the volume covers world literature from its beginnings to the present and illuminates the role of science in literature and literary studies. Included are more than 650 alphabetically arranged entries on topics, themes, writers, scientists, works, theories, and methodologies. Entries are written by a wide range of expert contributors and close with brief bibliographies, while the volume concludes with a list of works for further reading. An introductory essay traces the history of the field, its growing reputation, and the current state of research.

Reviews

.,."a welcome and seminal addition to both academic and community library reference collections."-Reviewer's Bookwatch
...a welcome and seminal addition to both academic and community library reference collections.-Reviewer's Bookwatch
Literature and science traditionally come together in the science fiction genre, but this volume shows that the two disciplines merge in other, diverse ways. Most academic libraries will need a copy of this encyclopedia, and large public libraries should consider adding it to their collection.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
The age-old polarity between the humanities may disappear as we forge ahead into the twety-first century, and the Encyclopedia of Literature and Science may silence any skeptics among us....Gossin has drawn a perimeter around the complexity of the discipline.-Reference & User Services Quarterly
This encyclopedia is intended primarily for undergraduates and instructors exploring the interrelations of the humanities and sciences. Its 650 signed entries range in length from 50 to 3,500 words on topics and themes linking science and literature, significant writers and scientists, seminal works, and important theories and methodologies....the volume is valuable and needed for its intended audience and helps structure the limits of a boundary-defying field. Recommended. College and university libraries as an undergraduate and teaching resource.-Choice
..."a welcome and seminal addition to both academic and community library reference collections."-Reviewer's Bookwatch
"Literature and science traditionally come together in the science fiction genre, but this volume shows that the two disciplines merge in other, diverse ways. Most academic libraries will need a copy of this encyclopedia, and large public libraries should consider adding it to their collection."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"The age-old polarity between the humanities may disappear as we forge ahead into the twety-first century, and the Encyclopedia of Literature and Science may silence any skeptics among us....Gossin has drawn a perimeter around the complexity of the discipline."-Reference & User Services Quarterly
"This encyclopedia is intended primarily for undergraduates and instructors exploring the interrelations of the humanities and sciences. Its 650 signed entries range in length from 50 to 3,500 words on topics and themes linking science and literature, significant writers and scientists, seminal works, and important theories and methodologies....the volume is valuable and needed for its intended audience and helps structure the limits of a boundary-defying field. Recommended. College and university libraries as an undergraduate and teaching resource."-Choice

Author Bio

PAMELA GOSSIN is Associate Professor of Arts and Humanities at The University of Texas at Dallas.